BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX in London are marking the first anniversary of his death in January 2026, by offering a full retrospective of DAVID LYNCH: THE DREAMER.
By Andrew Threlfall
“This Is A Dream, & I Will Be Judged For It.”
Lynch was an iconoclastic director, sublimely occupying his own space, a certified grandmaster of the surreal, and frequently characterised as a maker of the most challenging of films. So the BFI have, accordingly gone big allowing the the true defining quality of David Lynch’s work, the power to connect with audiences, full reign here. Nothing has been left out. Book early and book many shows would be my advice.
Exactly a year on from his passing, and in what would have been his 80th birthday month, BFI Lead Programmer Kimberley Sheehan and Head of Cinema Programme Justin Johnson invite audiences to reflect and pay tribute to a unique visionary with this season at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX that includes his great masterpieces, his innovative short films, and a series of contextual events.
“The Question Isn’t ‘Who Are You?’ But ‘Why Are You Here?’
Lynch crafted distinct changing dreamscapes that are charged with human emotion, perversity and deviance.
This quality moved audiences like no other director has ever achieved. Both frightening us and and taking us to nostalgic places form our childhood and subconscious.
He took us on unforgettable journeys asking us to examine and understand the darkness that lurks under pristine facades. And white picket fences.
“Silencio, Por Favor.”
The season introduction on 7 January, THE CINEMATIC VISIONS OF DAVID LYNCH, with guests including writer Simran Hans and author Tom Huddleston, will consider the defining elements of Lynch’s idiosyncratic style and haunting sound design, alongside his equally astounding work outside of cinema while chronicling his immense influence on artists, this writer and filmmakers alike.
Films screening at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from 1 – 31 January will include ERASERHEAD (1977), THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980), with a screening introduced by actor Dexter Fletcher on 27 January, DUNE (1984), BLUE VELVET (1986), WILD AT HEART (1990), LOST HIGHWAY (1997), THE STRAIGHT STORY (1999), MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001) and INLAND EMPIRE (2006), plus Jon Nguyen’s intimate documentary portrait of the filmmaker and his philosophy of leading a creative life, DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE (2016).
The BFI will also preview a new documentary, WELCOME TO LYNCHLAND (Stéphane Ghez, 2025), on 3 January. Ghez takes the viewer on a journey through the life and career of Lynch, weaving in perspectives from some of his closest collaborators including Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini and Sabrina Sutherland. Throughout his career, Lynch harboured an enthusiasm for short-form work and animation. THE SHORT FILMS OF DAVID LYNCH on 11 January will present six of his iconic shorts, followed by all eight episodes of his animated web series DUMBLAND (2002). Lynch embraced the internet early, exploring the possibilities of digital video. He used his website DavidLynch.com as a raw sketchbook that burst with experimental, sometimes haunting, often playful pieces which he wrote, directed and scored himself. He compiled the best of these into DYNAMIC: 01 (2006), which is screened on 9 January.
“Every Day, Once A Day, Give Yourself A Present.”
BFI audiences will also get to immerse themselves in the world of TWIN PEAKS. The BFI National Archive’s pristine 35mm print of TWIN PEAKS – ORIGINAL US PILOT (1990), used for the original BBC broadcast and a massive hit when last played at the BFI Film on Film Festival in June, will be screened on 12 January.
Lynch’s cinematic prequel masterpiece, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992), will also play in the season with a screening on 13 January followed by a discussion about the importance of Lynch’s work to the trans community, hosted by Sarah Cleary, curator of Funeral Parade presents. Plus, the rarely screened TWIN PEAKS: THE MISSING PIECES (2014), Lynch’s companion piece released twenty years after TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME and assembled from deleted scenes and alternative takes is essential viewing for Lynch completionists.
This is the ultimate Lynch feeding frenzy.
“The Owls Are Not What They Seem.”
Visitors to BFI Southbank can also step inside another dimension and visit the Black Lodge themselves with a special installation of the iconic Red Room, recreated in venue for the duration of the season.
Further special events will include the return of the Philosophical Screens series on 15 January, which will take a drive down David Lynch’s LOST HIGHWAY with Lucy Bolton, Ben Tyrer and Catherine Wheatley navigating the twists and turns of Lynch’s neo-noir nightmare.
“This Whole World’s Wild At Heart & Weird On Top.”
The Relaxed Screening of WILD AT HEART for neurodivergent audiences is a must on 12 January, in partnership with Stims Collective, followed by a discussion with filmmaker and co-founder Georgia Kumari Bradburn.
Elsewhere, two relaxed Sip and Paint painting sessions, themed around TWIN PEAKS on 12 January and the Lynch “art life” on 31 January, will pay homage to the filmmaker’s first passion and the creative output he always returned to.
“It Is Not My Custom To Go Where I’m Not Wanted.”
The month-long celebrations are capped by a David Lynch VJ Night on 17 January, when VJs will take guests on a unique audiovisual experience across the dancefloor; and don’t forget the David Lynch Quiz on 30 January.
Finally, a four-week course CITY LIT AT THE BFI: THE INTERPRETATIONS OF LYNCHIAN DREAMS will explore Lynch’s cinema from multiple angles. Through a range of perspectives, Mary Wild and Paul Sutton trace how Lynch’s films blur the realms of reality and dreams.
For more information, full listings and tickets visit: BFI
All images © BFI National Archive
Did you recognise the quotes?
“This is a dream, and I will be judged for it.” – Henry Spencer, Eraserhead
“The question isn’t ‘Who are you?’ but ‘Why are you here?” – Diane, Mulholland Drive
“Silencio, por favor.” – Club Silencio, Mulholland Drive
“Every day, once a day, give yourself a present.” – Laura Palmer, Twin Peaks
“The owls are not what they seem.” – Leland Palmer & others, Twin Peaks
“This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top.” – Lula Pace Fortune, Wild at Heart
“It’s all a mystery. You never know what’s going to happen next.” –
“It is not my custom to go where I’m not wanted.” – The Mystery Man, Lost Highway
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